Social Services

According to The Official Catholic Directory, in 2010 it was recorded that “there are 68,503,456 Catholics in the United States (22 percent of the population).” During his time in the Roman Catholic Church, Rev. Joseph A. Blenkle has seen the number of consistent churchgoers dwindle and has taken a vow upon himself to see that this percentage only grows in the years to come. He is the priest of Holy Name of Jesus Church in Valhalla, N.Y., and as such preaches to more than 2,000 congregants over the five Masses that are celebrated on Saturday and Sunday.

While only a young altar boy in middle school, Rev. Blenkle decided his life’s work would be turning people toward the word of God. In 1990, he began his mission by becoming an ordained priest through Saint Joseph’s Seminary. For more than 20 years he has presided at weddings and funerals and has given back to the community by teaching and speaking at women’s prisons. He is also an avid fundraiser and teaches religious education. He describes being a Catholic priest as wonderful and considers himself to be very lucky. During his tenure, he has been fortunate to meet not only one pope, but two. He met Pope John Paul II once in New York, and was able to personally shake his hand at their second meeting in Rome. Also, while having the honor of serving communion at Yankee Stadium, Rev. Blenkle met the current head of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI.

Prior to becoming an ordained priest, Rev. Blenkle earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Religious Studies with honors in 1986 from Iona College, followed by a Master of Arts in Divinity in 1990 from Saint Joseph’s Seminary. He is a member of the Westchester Hills Golf Club, the Knights of Columbus and Lions Clubs International. Recently elected to the priest senate, he is also a board member of Sirius Satellite Radio’s Global Catholic Radio Network. Continue reading →

Patricia L. Highcove is a vocational consultant with 26 years of experience in the field. Her firm, Highcove Consulting, provides vocational rehabilitation services, including resources, to disabled workers. Ms. Highcove, an independent consultant, ensures that individuals with disabilities, either from work-related injuries or a long-term impairment, return to work by providing them with appropriate counseling services. In addition, vocational expert services are provided for labor market information. She is charged with assessing her clients’ abilities and training them when necessary, such as when a job requires that they possess a skill set they didn’t previously have.

Early in her career, Ms. Highcove gained preliminary experience working with developmentally-disabled children. This motivated her to uncover different ways to help them become skilled workers. Throughout her career, she has learned to work in tandem with larger vocational rehabilitation companies while remaining an independent business entity. While many companies have latched onto or been absorbed by large insurance corporations (possibly compromising their ethical integrity), Ms. Highcove remains a step above the rest. “I’m independent and able to see the injured worker or disabled person as my client,” she says.

Ms. Highcove attributes her success to her passion for her profession. She continues to strive in the demanding field of return-to-work planning, helping her clients through the very difficult economic recession of 2009 – a time she feels has been very taxing on her business, which has been in existence for 13 years. She has to find different, creative ways to place them; she also has to be a lot more diligent and push people a lot harder to do different things. But at the end of the day, Ms. Highcove refuses to back down on seeing her clients succeed.

Ms. Highcove received a Master of Science in rehabilitation counseling in 1982 and a Bachelor of Science in rehabilitation services in 1981 from Syracuse University. She has been a certified case manager since 1990, a certified rehabilitation counselor since 1987 and a certified vocational evaluator since1983. She is a member of the Chesapeake Association of Rehabilitation Professionals and the International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals.

In her spare time, Ms. Highcove enjoys spending time with her children, reading, traveling and listening to music. Continue reading →

Motivated by the faces and stories of children whose living situations are less than desirable, Kelly Gleadall Beach formed her own consulting firm, KMG Consulting, where she provides behavioral health care services and offers individual and family assessments. As the owner, Ms. Gleadall Beach oversees mental health assessments, coordinates with foster care agencies, and organizes behavioral health care with Medicaid to ensure that children receive the appropriate support. For 20 years, her main goal has been to provide what is in the best interest of the child.

A licensed marriage and family therapist, Ms. Gleadall Beach attributes her success to her hard work, perseverance, patience, and faith in others. Her desire to help others brought her into her profession and through her firm, she is determined to offer every child the behavioral health treatment they deserve. Dealing with the system designed to aid these children can be somewhat challenging, but Ms. Gleadall Beach is extremely passionate about fulfilling her responsibilities. Although there can be obstacles in her profession, facilitating a reunion with family members who have the best interest of the child at heart makes it all worthwhile.

In 2005, Ms. Gleadall Beach earned a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. In 1994, she received a Master of Education in Counseling and Guidance from the Saint Thomas Campus at the University of the Virgin Islands, in addition to a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1991 from George Mason University. To keep herself up-to-date in her field, she holds memberships with The Nevada Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. In the future, Ms. Gleadall Beach hopes to continue assisting children and adults with their behavioral health care needs. In her spare time, she enjoys vacationing with her family and husband William, scuba diving, gardening and reading. Continue reading →